Immersive feature

Bahadur, the leopard king of Jhalana, surveys his kingdom atop an abandoned watchtower

Written by Sanya Jain | Photographs by Kriti Walia

Bahadur’s battle-scarred face tells the story of a life lived king-sized.

At 13, the leopard has earned a reputation as the King of Jhalana, the forest reserve in Jaipur, Rajasthan, that he calls home. His scarred face bears the marks of battles fought to hold on to his territory, but the ageing big cat appears to be reclaiming his lost ground.

Recently, striking photographs of Bahadur reposing on an abandoned watchtower in Jhalana, taken by wildlife photographer Kriti Walia, began circulating online. The images capture the leopard surveying his surroundings from a vantage point once used by humans to keep watch over the forest.

Image credit: Kriti Walia

"Bahadur is known as the King of Jhalana. His battered face tells a story of the fights that he has had with other males in order to sustain dominance. It is believed that nearly 75% of the cats in the park are genetically linked to his bloodline," Walia told me.
THE LEOPARD’S PRESENCE IN JHALANA HAS AN INTERESTING HISTORY

Jitendra Shekhawat, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) in the Rajasthan Forest Department, told me that Bahadur earned his name when he first appeared in Jhalana as a full-grown adult male sometime in 2014 or 2015.

How the leopard earned his spots

“Ye first time jab dikha tha toh ek dusra leopard ek aur tha, woh dubak gaya tha usko dekh ke. Isliye phir Bahadur naam diya tha isko (When he was seen for the first time, there was another leopard there. That one cowered away after seeing him. That’s why he was christened Bahadur),” ACF Shekhawat revealed.  “Iske attitude ki vajah se hi iska naam Bahadur pada,” he added. 

BAHADUR, THE OLD WARRIOR

THE NAME "BAHADUR", WHICH LITERALLY MEANS “BRAVE” IN HINDI, SEEMS FITTING FOR A LEOPARD THAT HAS SPENT YEARS ASSERTING HIS DOMINANCE OVER THE RESERVE. THE JHALANA LEOPARD RESERVE CURRENTLY HAS 32 LEOPARDS SPREAD ACROSS 20 SQUARE KILOMETRES.

Image credit: Kriti Walia

BUT EVEN A KING CAN FACE A CHALLENGER

In recent years, Bahadur’s dominance was contested by his son, Rana. Their clashes, some even captured on camera, offered glimpses of the struggle for territory between the two males. 

Image credit: Lakshmi Narasimha/Unsplash

“Leopards often fight for territory. If they get severely injured, they isolate themselves for some time.”
- ACF Jitendra Shekhawat

ACF Shekhawat told me that Rana has not been spotted for about a month, allowing Bahadur to regain lost ground. “Since Rana is not being seen these days, Bahadur has expanded his territory,” he revealed. 

BAHADUR ON THE WATCHTOWER

The older leopard is now being sighted more frequently by tourists visiting the reserve, particularly at the abandoned watchtower that has become one of his favourite lookouts. The structure, once used by humans to spot forest fires, poachers and leopards, has since become a favoured perch for the big cats themselves.

Image credit: Kriti Walia

ON PHOTOGRAPHING BAHADUR

Walia, an Indian photographer based in Dubai, told me that she photographed Bahadur at the watchtower in June this year. The images show the leopard making use of the elevated vantage point to survey his territory.

Image credit: Kriti Walia

“Leopards are crepuscular in nature therefore most active at dawn and dusk. These photos were taken in the early hours of the morning. Bahadur was reviewing his territory from this vantage point for potential prey or a threat from other alpha males in the park”
- Kriti Walia

For Walia, the sight of the leopard surveying his territory from the abandoned structure was as striking for its symbolism as for its visual impact. “It was actually quite paradoxical that a watch tower that was once used by humans to look for forest fires, poachers and Leopard sightings is now a throne to these felines for the same purpose of vigilance and protection of their territory!” Walia said.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

“These kinds of storytelling frames come by once in a lifetime! I am deeply humbled that I had the privilege to share this story,” the wildlife photographer added.

Image credit: Kriti Walia

AT 13, BAHADUR IS AN AGEING LEOPARD

Leopards in the wild typically live for around 12 to 15 years, making his continued presence in Jhalana all the more remarkable. And with Rana absent for now, the King of Jhalana appears to have reclaimed his throne. 

Image credit: Kriti Walia